PAXTON — Anyone in Paxton not living under a rock, so to speak, is aware the town is looking at a Proposition 2½ override to fund the town budget.
The first measure of support for the override effort, and keeping town services from cuts, comes at the annual town meeting on May 6, when voters gather at 7 p.m. in the Paxton Center School. The annual legislative meeting, where the town budget and other business governing the town for the coming year will be decided, has 18 articles awaiting voters.
Voters will then decide the override at the town election on May 13, with polling from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Paxton Center school. With no contested races on the ballot, the override is the main item of interest for most voters.
The override and its success will affect many town operations, since the schools funding is in a separate article not contingent on an override.
The plan was to present two budgets at town meeting for the town side funding. One (Article 17) is contingent on the override passing at the town election. That is a budget of $8,214,677, with funds coming from $6,474,677 in taxes, $300,000 from the EMS receipts account and an additional $1,440,000 allowed by the override.
The second town budget (Article 18), which would not rely on the override, was worded so it would be voided if the override passes. But the state said it could not work that way, so another town meeting will be needed if the override fails.
The state Department of Revenue “turned down our last warrant article,” the noncontingent budget, Select Board Chair Julie Pingitore explained at the Select Board’s April 22 meeting. “So we will have to pass that over at town meeting and reconvene a new meeting in the event (the override) does not pass.”
That second budget, with reduced town services, would be considered at the second town meeting, which is potentially scheduled for June 3. That budget version would total $7,374,726, using taxes of $6,474,726, Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriations Account funds of $400,000, and $500,000 from the town’s so-called free cash.
The current year’s budget is $7,639,942; it had also used various sources including free cash and ambulance funds to fund the fiscal 2024 spending plan.
The Wachusett Regional School District budget assessment for Paxton (Article 16) is set at $7,786,547, up from the current year’s $7,477,459. It is not contingent on the override being passed.
The other educational budget of $595,009 is to pay its assessed share of the Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical School Budget (Article 15).
Some of the articles awaiting voters are routine, such as approving revolving funds and road funding. Several articles would amend or replace bylaws, including those governing the revolving funds and the Council on Aging. A proposed bylaw change for the Recreation Commission would be passed over, as the Recreation Commission wants to do additional work on the proposal.
Money articles include: repurpose the remaining funds of $15,000 previously appropriated in a 2022 article, to use for information technology improvements; transfer $9,200 from fiscal 2024 Certified Free Cash for the outfitting of the new cruiser provided by Anna Maria College; transfer $5,089.46 from fiscal 2024 Free Cash to the Opioid Settlement Special Revenue Fund; transfer $61,000 from the Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Fund to purchase a cardiac monitor and Lucas device for the ambulances for the Fire Department; and $1,100 to be used for the expenses for Wachusett Greenways, an eight-town collaborative.
Override information
The town website has a tab on the homepage linking to more details on the override including budget details and Frequently Asked Questions.
The impact of the proposed override on each household will depend on property values used to assess the taxes.
The fiscal 2024 tax rate per thousand is $16.07; the estimated fiscal 2025 tax rate per thousand with the proposed override would be $17.91 per thousand.
An estimated tax rate for fiscal 2025 based on the proposed override can be viewed on the budget page of the website: https://www.townofpaxton.net/fy25-budget-page/files/tax-calculator.
For a more precise calculation, a property’s assessed value can be multiplied by .01791. Assessed values can be found via the town’s website on the assessor’s page to search by address: https://gis.vgsi.com/PaxtonMA/Search.aspx.
Forums
There have been numerous budget information sessions, at varying times and locations, to get information to voters in advance of the town meeting and election.
The final Budget Information Session is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, in the training room at the Public Safety Building on Pleasant Street.
A slideshow and recording of the budget presentation are available through the Budget tab on the town website homepage. Many of the board meetings on the budgets have been recorded and are available on YouTube and through the town website.
